Jackrabbits resume Big 12 duals

The South Dakota State University wrestling team continues a string of six consecutive dual meets against Big 12 Conference competition with matches on back to back nights this week.

The Jackrabbits, 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12, open the week by hosting Utah Valley Thursday night at Frost Arena. Competition on Military Appreciation Night begins at 7 p.m. All active duty and former military personnel can claim two complimentary tickets at the Frost Arena box office prior to the match by presenting proper identification.

A Teddy Bear Toss also will be held at intermission, with collected items – both teddy bears and other new toys – being directed to Sanford Children’s Hospital.

Utah Valley also is in search of its first conference dual win of the season, entering the week with an 0-2 Big 12 mark and a 9-8 overall dual slate. The Wolverines, who are currently receiving votes in the national rankings after spending a few weeks this season in the top 25, are scheduled to wrestle three duals over four days, traveling to North Dakota State on Friday and Iowa State on Sunday.

SDSU will also travel to Iowa State this week, taking on the 14th-ranked Cyclones at 7 p.m. Friday at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State, which has returned to the national rankings this season under second-year coach Kevin Dresser, has compiled a 7-2 overall record and a 4-1 mark in the Big 12 so far this season. ISU dropped a 22-15 contest at then-third-ranked Oklahoma State on Jan. 27.

Both of the Jackrabbits’ duals this week can be viewed online through FloWrestling.org (subscription required) – Utah Valley | Iowa State.

THE SERIES: The Jackrabbits hold modest winning streaks against both of this week’s dual opponents, although they trail in each of the all-time series.

vs. Utah Valley State SDSU and Utah Valley State have met every season since the 2005-06 campaign, when both squads became charter members of the Western Wrestling Conference. The Wolverines hold an 8-5 series advantage, although SDSU has won the past four matchups, including a 31-10 victory on Jan. 12, 2018, at Orem, Utah. The Jackrabbit win was highlighted by pins from Henry Pohlmeyer and Seth Gross.

Before the Jackrabbits’ current series winning streak, Utah Valley had won seven duals in a row.

vs. Iowa State The Jackrabbits have posted two consecutive convincing victories over Iowa State after the Cyclones won the first nine dual meetings between the two squads, dating back to the 1951-52 season when ISU claimed a 27-2 win.

Both of SDSU’s victories came on its home mat at Frost Arena. The Jackrabbits opened the 2016-17 dual season with a 27-9 victory, before scoring a 30-15 triumph in last season’s matchup, on Feb. 4, 2018. SDSU won seven of 10 bouts in last season’s dual.

LAST TIME OUT: Fresno State recorded pins in three of the first four matches and went on to defeat South Dakota State, 38-3, in a Big 12 Conference wrestling dual Jan. 20 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

The victorious Bulldogs improved to 6-6 and 3-3 in the Big 12. SDSU dropped to 1-6 overall and 0-3 in league duals. The matchup marked the first-ever wrestling dual between the two squads.

PANEL RANKINGS: South Dakota State’s Henry Pohlmeyer and Zach Carlson both appear in the first installment of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Coaches’ Panel Rankings, which were released Jan. 24.

A junior from Johnston, Iowa, Pohlmeyer is ranked 18th in the 149-pound weight class. He has posted a 16-8 overall record this season after earning a trip to nationals in the 141-pound division during the 2017-18 campaign.

Elsewhere, Pohlmeyer stands 13th in the TrackWrestling individual rankings, is ranked 17th by WIN Magazine and holds the 18th spot in the Intermat rankings.

Carlson, a junior 184-pounder from Kerkhoven, Minnesota, filled the 33rd and final spot in the 184-pound weight class. He is enjoying his best season as a Jackrabbit, posting a 15-6 overall record thus far.

The coaches’ panel rankings will be updated periodically throughout the season.

Conference allocations to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be determined in part based on the panel rankings, with additional spots available on an at-large basis to fill the 330-wrestler field – 33 wrestlers in each of the 10 weight classes. SDSU will compete at the Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championship March 9-10 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

GROSS SIDELINED: Defending national champion Seth Gross recently announced that he will miss the remainder of the season due to a back injury that will require surgery. He intends to seek a medical redshirt from the NCAA that would extend his eligibility through the 2019-20 season.